The much-hyped John Carter didn't exactly live up to box office expectations, earning only $9.8 million on Friday. Although it stands to take in a more respectable $27 million through the weekend, that's still chump change compared to the $250 million the studio threw down to make it.

Neither the 3D effects nor the appeal of shirtless Taylor Kitsch could help John Carter compete with The Lorax, which will once again win the weekend after breaking box-office records last weekend.

Looks like that aggressive ad campaign did its job after all: The Lorax earned $70.7 million this…
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John Carter narrowly won the Friday box office gross, but by Saturday, it should be overtaken by holdover Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, which is anticipating a $40 million weekend. Universal and Illumination Entertainment's Lorax, which grossed $9.6 million on Friday, will finish Sunday with a domestic gross north of $122 million.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Eddie Murphy vehicle A Thousand Words and the real-time thriller Silent House both tanked — not surprising, given their damning reviews. While Silent House does have some defenders, A Thousand Words is currently rocking the 0 percent rating over at Rotten Tomatoes.